Jacksonville, FL – Pinsly Railroad Company, an independent short line railroad holding company, is pleased to announce the promotions of Steve Laird and Jared Sleeth.
Steve Laird has been promoted to Vice President Commercial, where he is responsible for marketing and pricing, as well as commercial administration for all Pinsly railroads. Steve will continue to play a key role in the company, driving new growth and strategic organizational capabilities. Steve joined Pinsly in August 2022 as Assistant Vice President Sales & Marketing, responsible for commercial development of the Florida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad (FGA).
Prior to Pinsly, Steve spent 4 1/2 years at Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services with sales and marketing responsibility for a select group of railroads in both the Coastal and Southern Regions. Before entering the short line industry, Steve spent 16 years with CSX Transportation primarily in marketing roles across a variety of business units including Paper & Forest, Aggregates, Metals, and Machinery. Prior to entering the rail industry, Steve spent 14 years in the metals distribution industry, working in a variety of Commercial roles for a leading steel service center.
“In just two years, Steve made a significant impact on FGA, growing both the freight and storage businesses,” said Pinsly Chief Commercial Officer Cassie Dull. “Pinsly will benefit greatly from Steve’s broadened responsibilities and oversight in this new role.”
Jared Sleeth has been promoted to Assistant Vice President Business Development. He is responsible for commercial development of the Grenada Railroad (GRYR), including sales and marketing, industrial and economic development, planning and reporting, and customer communications. Since joining the company in January 2020 as the Director of Sales & Marketing, Jared has played a critical role in the success of GRYR.
Prior to joining Pinsly, Jared was with the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (NOPB) for four years in various roles: Trainmaster, Director of Network Development, and Director of Business Development. This allowed him to gain a wide range of experience in short line operations, service design, revenue and car accounting, customer service, and sales and marketing. Before NOPB, Jared worked for Union Pacific Railroad as a Trainmaster in New Orleans and Parsons, KS. In his pre-railroad career, Jared spent three years in trucking with Suddath Relocation Systems as a load planner and operations analyst, as well as the Operations Manager of SRS of Central Florida in Orlando. After graduating from college Jared spent seven years working as a carpenter and general contractor in Cashiers, NC and Jacksonville.
“Jared has been highly successful in developing and managing business on the Grenada Railroad by adding ten new customers and doubling freight shipments since 2020. His diverse experience, willingness to learn, and work ethic make him a trusted and respected member of our team,” Dull noted.
Commenting on the pair of promotions, Pinsly Chief Executive Officer Ryan Ratledge observed: “We consider ourselves fortunate to be able to work alongside railroad professionals such at Jared and Steve. Their experience, tenacity, and pragmatic approach to the business consistently yield strong results. It’s not just about what they have achieved, but how they go about doing it; both displaying exceptional teamwork and dedication, while leveraging their experience and business acumen.”
About Pinsly
Headquartered in Jacksonville, FL, Pinsly Railroad Company owns and operates six short line/regional railroads – Florida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad (FGA), Grenada Railroad (GRYR), Camp Chase Railway (CAMY), Chesapeake & Indiana Railroad (CKIN), Vermilion Valley Railroad (VVRR), and Pioneer Valley Railroad (PVRR). Pinsly Railroad Company offers freight services, transloading, railcar storage, and industrial development opportunities.
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